The setting sun casts a warm, gentle glow across the gardens as Rey and Ben walk hand in hand together. Their pace is slow as they enjoy each and every bit of the plant life. Rey's eyes are full of wonder and she excitedly points to the pieces of foliage that stand out to her. Ben smiles and shares information about all of the species. He loves being able to put this information he has learned to good use with someone who actually cares about it. One of his passions in his youth was studying the flora and fauna of planets connected to his family. He is amazed he remembers all of these details by heart still after all these years.
As they walk through the garden, Ben finds his eyes are always falling onto Rey. The way the setting sun shines on her and illuminates everything he loves about her makes his heart swell with joy. He stops walking and pulls her close to him, hugging her with all his might. Then he pulls back and looks down into her beautiful face, brushing strands of hair out of her face and tucking them behind her cute little ears. He leans down and kisses her softly on her lips, those lips that say his name in a way that makes him feel so alive.
"Can I show you something?" he asks in a whisper.
"Of course, Ben. Anything," she whispers back.
A slight tinge of pink shows across his face as he leads her to a little bench. They sit down together, holding hands and gazing into each other's eyes. Ben takes one of Rey's hands and places it on his cheek.
"I want to show you how much you have touched me and have changed me. Look into my mind," he says gently.
Rey nods and closes her eyes. She feels their connection hum as they open their minds up to one another. Ben takes a deep breath and begins showing his memories. The first is of their time on Takodana where they first met. Rey can feel Ben's emotions as she watches him look at her in that forest. He was curious of her and felt drawn to her somehow that confused, scared, and excited him all at once. The scene shifts to Rey's interrogation where he took off his helmet and she saw him, really saw the man behind the mask for the first time. When he looked into her mind and she fought back, Rey could feel his awe of her raw power. The scene shifts again to the snowy forest of Starkiller Base when Rey takes the lightsaber from Ben. Rey feels how Ben's heart swelled with realization of who she is, knowing she is the one from his dreams and visions.
Ben pauses the flow of visions to let Rey have a break, not wanting to overwhelm her. Rey gasps and looks at him. No words need to be spoken between them since their bond still hums with life. Rey smiles and strokes his cheek, thankful he is trusting her so much to open up to her like this. Ben smiles back and rests a hand on her cheek lovingly.
"Can I see more?" she asks quietly.
His smile grows and he nods. They close their eyes and Ben flashes through more scenes between them. The first and second Force Bonds they share go from curiosity to wanting, needing Rey to understand him. The third Force Bond where Rey saw Ben without his shirt makes them both blush. Rey feels how Ben loves her blushing cheeks and his disappointment of this Force Bond ending so abruptly, wondering where it could have gone next. Their fourth Force Bond is the most powerful and takes Rey a second to really concentrate and not lose focus. They touched hands after Rey offered her hand to Ben. It was the first time Ben was ever shown any kind of kindness or understanding and he relished in this. His fury and fear for what Luke Skywalker would do to her after finding them together. Their ride in the elevator where he wanted to kiss her to their fight against Snoke's guards. Rey gasps at the intense emotions Ben felt in these moments. His love for her was shining above everything else. And her heart breaks when she feels his broken heart after she left him.
Rey falls forward towards Ben and he catches her, holding her steady. She looks at him with tears in her eyes.
"I never...I never wanted to leave...I didn't want to hurt you…" she stammers, trying to hold back tears.
"Shh, Rey. It's ok," he coos, holding her close.
Ben kisses the top of her head and hugs her tightly. His chest heaves as he tries to keep in his own tears.
"I wish I hadn't been so stupid. I wish I had realized you just wanted me. I thought...I thought I had to be more powerful...stronger than Ben Solo," he chokes out.
Rey sits up and pulls him into a passionate kiss.
"You have always been strong. Let me show you," she whispers against his lips.
She pushes into his mind all her emotions from how he came to be with her on Exegol. Ben is flooded with the emotions Rey felt the whole time they were together: pure joy, connection, freedom, understanding, and love...love triumphing over all else. He gasps with how Rey saw him: the strongest person she has ever seen or known. She ends the memory and they both pant heavily. They look at one another, feeling their bond humming ever still.
"You are everything to me," Rey whispers.
"You are my reason for being," Ben whispers.
They kiss passionately again and hold each other close as the sun finally sets.